On a night when every competing Philadelphia sports team fell short of a win, to varying degrees, the Philadelphia Flyers (0-1-0) were the only team that didn’t self-sabotage their chances. The uphill battle was as advertised, and credit to Rick Tocchet and his lineup, the Flyers kept close to the back-to-back reigning and defending NHL Stanley Cup champions, the Florida Panthers (2-0-0).
Dan Vladař earned the start after the 2025 NHL Preseason, and his performance against the Panthers made an intriguing case to push for the starting goaltender role. Sam Ersson will likely split starts with Vladař, but opening the season with a 94.1%SV on the road behind a defensive unit missing Rasmus Ristolainen (tricep) and Cam York (lower body) ought to earn Vladař consecutive starts. He saved 32/34 shots on goal, under siege since the first period.
“I thought he [Dan Vladař] was really solid. He’s had a good camp. He’s really solid.” – Rick Tocchet; 10/9/2025
For most teams, spending more time killing penalties than on the power play is the exact disadvantage it sounds like. Philadelphia killed 4/5 penalties (80%), but never converted a power play (0/2). Last season, for Florida, Aleksander Barkov (knee) and Matthew Tkachuk (groin) only trailed Sam Reinhart in power play points. If the Flyers faced a healthier version of the Panthers, there’s a likelihood they could’ve been picked apart. Vladař was a critical contributor in mitigating the damage on the penalty kill.
“There’s pockets of good stuff. Obviously, I didn’t like our second [period]. Taking those penalties takes people out of the game. But, there was some good stuff. It’s [a] good measuring stick. One thing with Florida [Florida Panthers] I respect; they believe in what they do. They dump a lot of pucks, they’re great forechecking; we got to make sure we believe in what we’re doing. Sixty minutes, right? Pucks turned over; things like that, we got to clean up. But, for the most part, the effort was there. Can’t really get too upset.” – Rick Tocchet; 10/9/2025
Matching Vladař step-for-step was Sergei Bobrovsky. Bobrovsky closed out Philadelphia, stopping 19/20 (95%SV). Each goaltender allowed just one even-strength goal. That accentuates the importance of team discipline.
Here’s how it all went down from Sunrise, Florida, at the Amerant Bank Arena:
First Period
Shots: 13-6, Panthers
Score: 0-0
Almost immediately, Matvei Michkov served a minor penalty for hooking. It took 0:44 for the Flyers to go on the penalty kill, and before the Panthers could get their power play humming, Evan Rodrigues served a minor penalty for slashing. At four-on-four, Vladař was fighting for his life in the crease before Philadelphia could go on an abbreviated power play.
The shot discrepancy was felt lopsided early in the first period. Egor Zamula and Noah Juulsen were slow to move the puck out of the defensive zone in transition. Rodrigo Ābols, who showed his knack for providing scoring depth in the 2025 NHL Preseason, strapped into a more possessive, defensive responsibility alongside Nicolas Deslauriers and Garnet Hathaway.
Luke Kunin served a minor penalty for tripping. The pool emptied for the Flyers’ power play in the first period without a shot on goal.
Without his stick for a few moments, Bobrovsky made a play on Michkov. The puck went wide of the net, but Michkov had the wherewithal to make a play behind the extended goal line. Bobrovsky sealed the post, trapping the puck with his skates before it could cross into the net. Michkov is one to test the odd angles, and against other goaltenders, he’s been successful at converting.
Christian Dvorak served a minor penalty for tripping. Travis Konecny and Noah Cates cleared the defensive zone, and Vladař lost his lid after fielding a shot on goal. Wes McCauley took an extra minute to pause the play after Vladař completely lost his helmet, almost creating a dangerous moment for the goaltender. It’s something that the NHL officiating crew needs to get on top of, not waiting for a goaltender to be struck with a shot before taking corrective action.
Second Period
Shots: 25-15, Panthers
Score: 1-1
Trevor Zegras served a minor penalty for interference. Hathaway and Konecny cleared the defensive zone, but in the late stages of the penalty kill, Philadelphia surrendered a power play goal. Jeff Petry began the transition on the attack, finding Rodrigues in the neutral zone. Rodrigues dished to Anton Lundell in a soft zone of the Flyers’ penalty kill before scoring under the stick-side of Vladař, 1-0, with 14:31 remaining in the second period.
Dvorak returned to the penalty box again, serving a minor penalty for hooking. Juulsen, Adam Ginning, and Travis Sanheim cleared the defensive zone, and Vladař snagged a shot by Reinhart. Florida was on pace to outshoot Philadelphia, 40-18, halfway through regulation.
Aside from the earlier attempt by Michkov in the first period, Cates had a grand opportunity to put the Flyers on the scoreboard. He moved in on Bobrovsky and rang his shot off the post. The Panthers didn’t allow much space for Philadelphia to operate in the offensive zone. To this point, Cates and Owen Tippett found some room due to their skating, but Florida found ways to congest on defense.
A juicy rebound allowed Cates to follow through on the scoreboard, 1-1, with 2:12 remaining in the second period. Cates won a faceoff in the offensive zone, and Tyson Foerster uncorked the original shot on goal. Relentless effort from Cates tied the game. His line, featuring Foerster and Bobby Brink, seemed like the hardest-working of the forward group.
Third Period
Shots: 34-20, Panthers
Score: 2-1, Panthers
Brad Marchand scored the eventual game-winner, 2-1, with 17:41 remaining in the third period. From along the wall, Marchand waited for AJ Greer to flash across Vladař. The puck was already on a rope toward the net, and before Vladař could track it due to the screen, it was too late.
Still, the third line featuring Foerster, Cates, and Brink continued to pressure Bobrovsky. A loose puck went wide of the net, just out of the reach of Cates. The tenacity of this line, passed down from John Tortorella to Tocchet, never failed. As Tocchet looks to find chemistry with his other forward lines, this third line is one that ought to be left alone.
“They’re [Tyson Foerster, Noah Cates, Bobby Brink] invested, right? Cates is invested in what we’re doing. He’s around the puck, he stops on pucks, [and] when there’s no play, he makes the right play. At the end, he went wide, [and] almost scored a goal. So he [Cates] was really good tonight.” – Rick Tocchet; 10/9/2025
Zamula, Sanheim, and Nick Seeler made consecutive defensive plays to help Vladař keep the game within reach during the third period. In particular, Seeler effectively defended a two-on-one rush when Marchand would’ve normally elected to shoot. Vladař kept his positioning, forcing a pass from Marchand, deflected by Seeler’s skate.
Eventually, Vladař was pulled for the six-on-five advantage. Foerster served a minor penalty for interference. Vladař returned to his position as the Panthers would finish the third period on the power play. Florida defeated the Flyers at Amerant Bank Arena, 2-1.
Up Next
Next, the Philadelphia Flyers visit the Carolina Hurricanes on Saturday, October 11th, at 7pm/ET.
